The Basics

Score: Evangel 8, Saint Mary 1 | Box Score

Record: Evangel (10-22, 5-14), Saint Mary (8-20, 6-12)

Location: Leavenworth, Kan. (USM Baseball Complex)

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. – Evangel Baseball opened their seventh conference series of the season on Friday (Mar. 28) afternoon, taking on the Spires of Saint Mary in a single nine inning matchup.

The Valor played a great overall game, scoring eight runs and using a strong pitching performance from Wyatt Keplar to earn a 8-1 win on Friday.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Evan Baptiste kick-started the Valor offense early, hitting a solo home run in Friday's lead off at bat to give EU a 1-0 lead.

• After Saint Mary was able to get runners on first and second with just one out in the bottom of the first, Wyatt Keplar was able to force a 3-6-3 ground out double play to get out of trouble.

• The Valor offense returned to action in the top of the third when Baptiste opened the inning with a triple, scoring on a Kannon Perry double and giving Evangel a 2-0 lead. After Quentin Edwards worked a walk, Clay Palen singled, scoring Edwards and Parker Ellifritz, the courtesy runner for EU's catcher, making it a 4-0 Valor lead.

• Saint Mary earned a run back in the bottom of the third, hitting a solo home run to make it a 4-1 ballgame.

• Evangel was able to use singles from Jeremiah Leaming and Cade Beshore to open the fourth inning and Baptiste was hit by a pitch to load the bases. K. Perry quickly unloaded the bases, using a double to score three runs, extending the Valor lead to 7-1.

• Keplar kept the Spires offense from finding any consistent scoring threats, striking out several batters over his seven innings of work.

• Matthew Olson worked a walk in the top of the eighth inning and came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Shane Poe to solidify Evangel's 8-1 win with Cooper Wilken pitching a pair of innings in relief to hold USM.

NOTABLE

• Evan Baptiste came up just a double short of hitting for the cycle, hitting a home run in the first inning, triple in the third inning, and a single in the eighth.

• Kannon Perry finished with a team high four RBIs in the win.

• Wyatt Keplar struck out 11 batters on Friday, moving to third all-time for strikeouts in a career at Evangel with 241. Keplar also earned his second win of the season on Friday.

NEXT UP

Evangel Baseball concludes their series with Saint Mary on Saturday (Mar. 29) afternoon, taking on the Spires in a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. in Leavenworth.

For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, visit Facebook at Facebook.com/EvangelValor, Twitter (@EvangelValor), or EvangelAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on their favorite EU teams by downloading the Evangel Athletics Gameday App through the App Store or Google Play.